Clause 81 - ''Bad character''
Criminal Justice Bill
10:00 am
Mr Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield, Conservative)
I accept that there is an interrelationship between the clauses, which was the reason for my preliminary comments. The trouble is that legislation establishes principles and sends out signals. We know what signal the Government are trying to send with the Bill. It is that, generally speaking, evidence of bad character and previous convictions should be admitted unless restrictions are applied. That is a principle with which I do not agree. I approach the matter, philosophically, from a completely different angle. My attitude is that in criminal trials in this country we have been well served by the basic principle that previous bad character is irrelevant and should be excluded. Indeed, steps
should be taken at every stage of the proceedings to try to ensure that such information does not come before the jury unless certain exceptions apply. We are turning that on its head and clause 81 is a good place to begin discussing that.